2016 IN RETROSPECT


Here we were are enjoying our travels in Mexico.

JANUARY - MID MARCH

MAZATLAN

Click here to read about a dinner out with other bloggers written



SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE



GUADALAJARA


GUANAJUATO 



PUERTO VALLARTA


MARCH


We lost my Aunty Nell this month, the last of my maternal aunts.

We came home in mid March and they finally got winter!






Came home to new ceiling and pot lights in the kitchen, Dave had finished it while we were away.
Had fun decorating our place with our purchases from Mexico.
Had a plumber come and replace all the piping under the kitchen sink, no more blocks!
We celebrated John's birthday at Canoe one of favourite restaurants in Toronto.
Happy Birthday!
We shopped at St. Lawrence market and went to a French pastry shop on Danforth.



But it is fun to have everything available to cook. We went to The Pantry in the east end for Irish sausages and white and black pudding for St. Patrick's belated Day.





We went to our favourite pizza place - Olympic
I started co-hosting the condo coffee club.
Went shopping with my BFF and tried Noodles and Company for Thai soup, really good so I took John there later in the month.
We tried sea asparagus for the first (and last) time.

Week 2 April

Movies Eye in the Sky
Burgers at Batch
Chowder at the Market

Week 3 April
We started having smoothies every day and did a lot of shopping at St. Lawrence Market.
Took a brisk spring walk along the Humber.
John chose Sawtow in Chinatown for General Tao's chicken. We also checked out some places on Spadina.
John's son was in town on business so we met up for dinner.
My BFF and I went to the AGO and had lunch in the Members' Lounge.

Week 4 April
Lunch with friends at the Elephant and Castle and then we attended a performance of Kinky Boots - fantastic!
Lunch at La Carnita for tacos and a movie, Criminal.
We went to the ROM to see the Tattoo exhibit.



MAY



Week 1 May

Drove to Montreal to see family for dinner and lunch with cousins
A very uninspired lunch at .Cafe Polonez.


Rearranged some furniture, got the perfect blue quilt for our bedroom. Lunch at Aroma, Indian buffet.
Went to see Batman v Superman, meh. Some ghost signs and CHUM.
Shopping and lunch at Red Lobster with my BFF.


Saw Money Monster.
Lots of organizing in spare room after we got rid of the old computer desk that took up too much room and replaced it with a better new desk with filing. It was from Ikea so John took on the challenge to put it together.


We went mural hunting along Dovercourt and had brunch at Gayley's.
John golfed at Wooden Sticks and began his weekly golf league.
I went shopping and had dumplings at Mother's Dumplings.
More shopping with my BFF and duck dumpling soup for lunch.
We went to the AGO and had afternoon tea in the Members' Lounge and then saw an exhibit.


JUNE



Recovered the chair in our bedroom to match the quilt.
Saw Return to Grace at the Mirvish Theatre after crab legs at Red Lobster.
John got a new phone.
John had his weekly golf and played again that week.


Went to the theatre to see Forever Plaid.
Saw High Rise at the TIFF theatre.


I went on a summer quest to track down all the brains for The Brain Project.
Another delicious pizza at Olympic.
Hosted my cousin's son overnight before he headed off to Asia.
Lunch in the Gay Village.
Lunch at the Duke of Richmond with my BFF.
I attended a CPR course.
We began the task of emptying all our closets in preparation for their replacement.
John left for Pittsburgh with a friend to attend the US Open.




John at the Open in Pittsburgh.

My BFF and I lunched at the Luminato Food Festival downtown and wandered the Distillery District.
A walk around Corktown.
The closet guys started demolition and completed the job in a few days.

JULY



Week 1 July

John painted the pantry with some leftover paint and we got it organized.
Went back along Queen St. E to find some murals and see the Ashbridges Estate.
Discovered that Toronto has a labyrinth.
Toronto Pride which got a mention from an Australian blogger, Andrew from High-Rise.


John is diagnosed with celiac so we experimented with gluten free recipes.
John golfed Royal Ontario.
And checked out the renovated Toronto Reference Library.
Explored Harbord Village.




Then onto Rochester NY to check out the incredible murals.
We stayed two nights at the Hilton Garden Inn Rochester Downtown hotel which offers unique character with a modern vibe in a historically significant building originating from the 1920s.
We visited the Jell-o Museum.
The Vietnam Memorial. I then had 2 reporters ask for permission to use some of my photos.
  • Baihly Marie
    Hi Jackie! My name is Baihly, I am a reporter for WDIO-TV, an ABC station in Duluth, Minnesota. I stumbled upon your blog and found a photo you took in Rochester, New York of the "Vietnam Veteran Walking into Wall" memorial. There is an effort to bring a replica of the statue to Minnesota, and I'm wondering if you would give me permission to use your photo in my story. If so, I can have a "Courtesy: Jackie McGuinness" or "Courtesy: Junk Boat Travel" added to the photo. Thank you!

  • FriYou accepted Baihly's request.
  • Jackie McGuinness
    30/12/2016 16:38
    Jackie McGuinness
    Sure, by all means go ahead and use it. Courtesy - Jackie McGuinness.
  • Baihly Marie
    30/12/2016 16:38
    Baihly Marie
    Great! Thank you. It's a lovely photo. Happy New Year!


     Michelle Lee
Hi Jackie, I would like your permission to use the photo I found on your blog of the Veteran's statue in Rochester, NY. Our veterans are raising money to build the same statue here in Northern Minnesota. I am doing a news story on their efforts.









I met up with a blogger and her husband, she had contacted me after reading my blog.

We drove to Montreal for the weekend with family.
John picked up his new car!
Lunch with my BFF at the Museum Tavern and then the Chihuly exhibit,.



Dinner at Canoe for my birthday.
We attended a friend's 40th birthday party.
And a family BBQ.
John golfed Remington.
BFF and I lunched at the Adelaide Market and shopped.

AUGUST


We went to see the new sculptures at Corktown Commons and had brunch at the Dominion Pub.
John golfed Royal Ontario.
I wandered downtown to City Hall and the AGO.
 Harbourfront, lunch, and sunshine, Music Garden, Irish Famine Sculpture.



Lunch at Union Station after some serious shopping for a wedding.

Week 3 August

Lunch with John at Harbourfront and we went to Billy Bishop airport to see the new tunnel.
I dragged John to see the Chihuly exhibit and lunch at the Museum Tavern, John's favourite mussels.
Found the Sherlock Holmes display at the Toronto Reference Library.

Week 4 August

Headed to Peterborough for a family wedding weekend.





Back home we went to see the murals at Islington.
Discovered an awesome cider bar Her Father's Cider Bar and Kitchen.
Hosted a birthday dinner for my nephew and his Dad.

SEPTEMBER


Week 1 September


We went to Montreal to see family and do some sightseeing.



Let's go the the EX!  You know summer is drawing to a close when the Canadian National Exhibition sets up in town.

Week 2 September
Hot and steamy summer in the city - Labour Day.
Watched the amazing Air Show from our condo rooftop.
We went to the Buskerfest.
Lunch in the Distillery District at El Catrin.

Week 3 September
A niece and I went to a Sip and Savour at the Gladstone Hotel.
John and I go Island Hopping  Toronto style.
We took the heritage Toronto Lost Breweries Tour.
We checked out Wurst as they have a large selection of ciders on tap.

Week 4 September
John had tickets for the Ryder Cup and his friend couldn't go so I said I would go to keep him company on the drive to Minneapolis.

Week 5 September



Day 1 Toronto to Kalamazoo
Day 2 Kalamazoo to Milwaukee
Day 3 Milwaukee
Day 4 Milwaukee to Minneapolis

OCTOBER





Day 5 Minneapolis

John went to the Ryder Cup.


I took a walking food tour in Minneapolis.



Day 6 Minneapolis to Madison
Day 7 Madison to Owasso
Day 8 Owasso to Toronto

Week 2 October

It's Thanksgiving and we go to my BIL for a family dinner.


Week 3 October

John golfs with BIL and they come to dinner.
John also got invited to a Toronto Marlies hockey game which he really enjoyed.
Baseball fever was alive and one of our nephew's was featured in a commercial during the game.
Weather continued to be gorgeous and we left for Williamsburg for a week.







Day 1 and 2 driving to Williamsburg.
Day 3 Williamsburg
Day 4 Jamestown
Day 5 Berkeley Plantation
Day 6 Yorktown

Week 4 October

Day 7 Williamsburg
Day 8 Williamsburg

NOVEMBER



We drove home from Williamsburg with an overnight stop in Altoona PA.
It's November and John is still golfing.
We shopped and planned for a niece's 30th birthday brunch.
We added to our travel wall.



Movie Dan Brown's Inferno
John is still golfing!


Movies - Jack Reacher Never Go Back
Weekly shopping and lunch with my BFF.

John and Blair golf - weather continued to be nice.
We have dinner with friends at the Lord Nelson a favourite of all of us.
Movies - Doctor Strange
Lunch at the AGO and attended the Mystical Landscapes exhibit.

DECEMBER



We went to Montreal for the weekend and then left Toronto for the winter on December 7.







We arrived in Orlando and were booked for 3 weeks at the Barefootin' timeshare resort.

Charlie Brown's Christmas
Universal Studios - Harry Potter
Universal Studios

Week 3 December

St. Augustine


World Golf Hall of Fame
Castillo de San Marcos
Flagler College
St. Pothios



Week 4 December

Tiffany
Old Town



And so ends 2016.















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